


The More Things Change

by infamousplot



Category: Fate/Apocrypha, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night - All Media Types, Fate/strange fake
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Angst, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, mindless fluff that turned into angst why
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-16
Updated: 2015-02-16
Packaged: 2018-03-13 08:37:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3374927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infamousplot/pseuds/infamousplot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lancer is looking for an excuse not to go back to the church, and a bored and lonely Astolfo gives him exactly that. What starts out as mindless chatter and an invitation to lunch turns into an unexpected -and somewhat unwanted- trip down memory lane...</p>
            </blockquote>





	The More Things Change

**Author's Note:**

> another fic from fearthesillypeople's alternate timeline AU. Post UBW, with Strange Fake and Apocrypha merged into it. Spoilers for UBW and Apocrypha.

It was the end of a six hour shift and it was only noon. What a day.

    Cu walked down the streets of Fuyoki in a daze, yawning every few steps. He’d gotten a call from his boss, Achilles (yes, the servant Achilles, the guy who owned the flower shop was motherfucking  _Achilles_ ), around 5:30, asking if he wouldn’t mind coming in early to help unload a new shipment. Being half asleep, he’d merely snorted sure, and the next thing he knew he was at the shop, dead on his feet.

    Cu yawned again, checking his phone to make sure no one had texted him to pick up groceries or something after work.There were no new messages. He sighed.

    Cu hated morning shifts. Morning shifts meant he had the rest of the day to lounge around at Kirei’s, getting berated by his “master” or Gilgamesh. Afternoon shifts were nice- he could sleep until noon and then work until evening, not having to deal with his housemates until dinner. By then, there wasn’t much for them to complain to him about, so he was prety much in the clear. Morning shifts though, those were the worst. Now he was tired, and he had to go home to Gil and Kirei.

 _Maybe I could go fishing…_  Cu mused, glancing idly through the store windows. He’d left his fishing rod outside in the front yard, he could probably swing by and grab it without anyone noticing. Enkidu was working at the pet shop until four, so there really wasn’t anything else to do. He hadn’t fished in awhile, anyway. He could use the break.

    He turned the corner, lost in thought, and found himself crashing into someone else.

    “Uwaaah!” the someone else cried, falling to the ground. Cu swore,reaching down to pull them up.

    “Sorry ‘bout that.” he said sheepishly. Then he paused. “Astolfo?” he smiled a little. The pink-haired servant stopped fixing his skirt and looked up, a smile crossing his face.

    “Ah! Cu Chulainn!” he cried, bowing in greeting. “It’s so good to see you! How have you been?” he beamed.

    “Eh, you know. Same old same old.” Cu shrugged. Best not to get into details. “What’re you doing without your bodyguards?”he teased, and Astolfo’s face colored with embarrassment.

    “Karna and Achilles are at work,” Astolfo explained, not amused by his comment. “I’m running errands for them!” his smile returned quickly. “I already got all the grocery shopping done, and I just finished returning one of Karna’s books to the library. So now, I’m getting lunch. Would you like to come?”

    “Thanks, but I’ll pass.” Cu said. “I was planning on catching some lunch down at the pier.” Astolfo cocked his head, curiosity sparking in his eyes.

    “Catching?” he asked.

    “Yeah. I was gonna go fishing.”

    “Oh!” Astolfo’s eyes lit up again. “I’ve never gone fishing before! Would you mind if I accompanied you? I would love to see how it works!” he cried, practically bubbling with excitement. Cu frowned a little, uncertain. He didn’t know Astolfo very well. He was a nice kid, but he was a bit of a blabbermouth… okay, that was an understatement. he was the very epitome of a blabbermouth. Cu did owe him though, for all those times he’d helped him out from between a rock and a hard place… he shuddered just remembering it, all of the awful situations Gilgamesh had gotten him involved in. Astolfo was watching him hopefully, shimmering with anticipation. Cu sighed, sparing him a half-smile.

    “Sure. Why not?”

    “Hazzah!” Astolfo cried,leaping into the air. “Come! Let us go!” he took off quickly, turning back every few paces to make sure Cu was still behind him. Cu laughed.

    Blabbermouth or not, this still beat going home.

~ ~ ~

    “So I just cast the line, and spin this little bauble when I feel a tug?” Astolfo asked, for the third time. Cu nodded, again, flat on his back with his feet hanging over the edge of the pier. He was so tired. All he wanted to do was fall asleep, here in the nice warm sun, with the sound of waves and gulls and the distant buzz of motors. He didn’t even care that Astolfo had to borrow his rod. He just wanted to rest.

    “Ah!” Astolfo cried as he tried casting the line once again. Cu didn’t bother watching to see if he’d done it right. Apparently, Astolfo was physically incapable of remaining quiet for more than two seconds. Even when he wasn’t talking, he made noises- little grunts and giggles and other burbles of sound.

     _I came down here to relax_ , he thought dully, glancing over the the child. He was staring at the sea in determination, holding the rod like one would a sword. Cu shook his head, sighing.

    “You don’t have to hold it so tight.” he said, coming up behind him. Astolfo looked up, confused. “Here.” Cu took the rod from him, reeling it back in. Once he got the hook back up, he let the rod fall back over his shoulder. “You just sort of swing it out,like this,” he explained, letting the rod arch forward. The reel whirred as the hook flew out, splashing silently in the choppy water. Astolfo’s watched eagerly.

    “Then what?” he asked.

    “We wait.” Cu said, plopping down. Astolfo followed hisexample, sitting down right next to him and watching the water.

    “How long does it usually take?” he asked, after they had been sitting for exactly five seconds.

    “Depends.” Cu shrugged, yawning again. “Sometimes you get a lot of bites. Sometimes you get none.” For Cu,it tended to be one or the other- either his jack of all trades ability helped him haul in a good catch, or his E rank luck left him with an empty line. Either way, he didn’t mind. Fishing was more of a hobby for him, something he did to unwind. Plus, he got a good meal out of it too, if the fates allowed.

    “Do you fish a lot?” Astolfo asked, looking at him instead of the waters.

    “When I can.”

    “Can I hold the rod?” Astolfo asked hopefully. Cu handed it over.

    “When you feel something pulling, just spin the little knob.”

    “Got it!” Astolfo chirped. Cu leaned back again, sighing in contentment as the warm concrete pressed against his back. He could lie here forever, lolling calmly between consciousness and sleep…if only Astolfo would be quiet for one minute…

    The boy was chattering by his side, about what Cu had no idea. Something about how he’d never got to go fishing when he was a child, there were no rivers nearby, he sure loved the ocean, didn’t Cu think it was magnificent, blah blah blah blah…

    “Yep. Mmhmm.” Cu mumbled sleepily, droning through the conversation. The kid kept on going and going, without any sign of stopping…

    “Did you ever see the ocean when you were alive?” Astolfo asked. Cu opened his eyes.

    “Huh?” he propped himself up on his elbows. “Uh, yeah. I lived on a giant island. I got to see it a few times.” He smiled a little, remembering the first time he’d seen it as a child. His mother had told him that it was impossible to see to the other side of it, but he’d insisted that he could, if he just looked hard enough. “What about you?”

    “Oh, yes! Only once though, when I went to Africa.” Astolfo explained. “I flew over some parts of it on the way there. My hippogriff kept wanting to stop to try and catch fish.”

   _Hippogriff?_  Cu raised an eyebrow. That was right, Astolfo was a Rider. He didn’t know much about the kid’s story, but it sounded like one of the more fantastical ones.  _Says the guy who turns into a giant wolf on the full moon._

    “Should’ve brought a fishing rod with you.” Cu laughed. Astolfo giggled.

    There was something about the kid that reminded him of Enkidu. He wasn’t sure exactly what it was though. The way he smiled so easily, Cu guessed. Enkidu could be more serious, and he was much more restrained, but that joyful look they got on their faces was almost the same.

 _They’re both nice kids,_  he smiled fondly. Though, he wasn’t sure if Enkidu could be considered a kid… physically speaking he looked about 16, but he had to be around the same age as Gil… which was how old, exactly? Cu had never really bothered asking. How old was Astolfo, for that matter? He didn’t look much older than Enkidu- 16,  _maybe_  18, though that seemed like a bit of a stretch. He wasn’t sure if Astolfo would appreciate him asking though, so he let those thoughts drift away. It didn’t really matter, after all.

    “Gotten any bites yet?” he asked, sitting up. He was starting to feel hungry. Astolfo shook his head. His lips were pursed, his face scrunched up in fierce determination. Cu struggled not to laugh. “Ah well. We’ve got plenty of time.” he yawned, stretching out once more.

    “You know what I’ve been wanting to do ever since I came here?” Astolfo asked, as soon as silence had fallen. Cu sighed. “I want to go to the beach.” he said, a shimmer in his eyes.

    “You should get your buddies to take you down there some time.” Cu suggested, yawning. “Maybe they’ll go fishing with you too.” Achilles was from Greece, so he probably had some experience with that sort of things. He had no clue about Karna- India right? He didn’t know where in India though. Had he ever seen the ocean? He must have, if he’d made his way to Japan.

    “Ah! That’s a wonderful idea!” Astolfo tried to clap with joy, forgetting about the rod and almost dropping it. Cu lunged forward, grabbing it- he’d paid good money for this thing, he wasn’t going to lose it, dammit. “Sorry!” Astolfo cried, holding it tight. “As I was saying, that’s a wonderful idea! You could come, if you like- since you already know how to fish… and Enkidu and Gilgamesh too! You three haven’t been to the beach yet either, right?” Astolfo seemed thrilled with the idea, but Cu just snorted. “What?”

    “Nothing, Nothing.” he laughed. “I’m sure Enkidu would love to go, but Gil isn’t really a public outings sort of guy.” That wasn’t entirely true. Gil would probably have loved to go to the beach, especially if Enkidu was going. That excuse was a lot easier than saying that Gilgamesh was a danger to society whether or not he went with a group and taking him out with a bunch of other demigods was nothing other than a recipe for disaster, especially if one of those demigods was Karna.

    “Oh…” Astolfo pouted a little.

    “Don’t take it personally.” Cu said quickly, trying to get him to brush it off. “Not everyone’s a people person.” And Gilgamesh was about as far from a people person as you could get. He admired Astolfo’s desire to befriend everyone he met, but you had a draw a line somewhere.

    Cu had tried inviting Gil to go fishing with him once. Once. Trying to reach out to Gilgamesh was futile. It was better just to ignore him. Unfortunately, he was like a cat- he refused to be ignored until you needed him for something. Then, he was conveniently gone.

    It didn’t really matter though. He’d given up trying to make nice with Gil. If he wanted to be King of Douchebags, so be it. Cu had better things to do then listen to that asshat tell him how he wasn’t even worthy of licking his boots.

    “Well, maybe we can do something else together… I think it would be nice, if the six of us could do something fun!” Astolfo smiled. It was such an innocent wish, Cu couldn’t find a way to crush it.  _Might as well let him dream,_  he decided. Leave the harsh reality to Karna and Achilles.

    “Maybe.” Cu yawned. He looked at his phone. It was already past two. “We’ve been at this for awhile, huh…” he sighed, putting the phone in his pockets. “I say we cut our losses. Sound good to you?”

    “Already?” Astolfo frowned.

    “We’ve been at it for two hours kid. Time to call it quits.” Cu stood up, stretching. There was still plenty of time to be killed before he went back to that house… he didn’t have any money on him though, so it wasn’t like there was much for them to do. Cu’s stomach rumbled, loudly. Astolfo giggled.

    “Why don’t we get something to eat?” he smiled.

    “Nah, it’s fine. I don’t need you paying for my meals. I already owe you for helping me out.” Cu waved his offer away. Astolfo paused, looking at him seriously.

    “Think nothing of it, Cu Chulainn!” he said, in a tone more regal than Cu was used to. “It was my honor as a knight. You owe me no debts. However, if my paying for your food leaves you with discomfort, we shall not eat out.” Astolfo even gave a little bow.

    “No need to get so formal.” Cu raised his hands a little, a bit surprised by Astolfo’s reaction. “I was just teasing kid. I do that.” And he really needed to stop around Astolfo, apparently. The kid didn’t seem to comprehend sarcasm. He took the fishing pole from Astolfo and wound up the line, careful not to prick himself with the hook. “So, where do you propose we eat?”

    “We could go to my house.” Astolfo offered. Cu couldn’t think of any reason not to.

    “Sounds good to me. Lead the way.” he grinned. Astolfo cheered, grabbing his hand and pulling him along down the sidewalk. Cu stumbled after him, fishing rod bouncing against his shoulder. This was turning out to be a rather interesting day after all.

~ ~ ~

    “It’s a good thing I just got groceries!” Astolfo said as they entered the house. He shed his bunny-hooded jacket at the door, flouncing to the bags lying near the fridge. “What would you like to eat? We have rice, ramen, fish sticks, some fruits…” Astolfo listed off each item as he tossed them out of the bags. Cu managed to catch the soggy cardboard box for the fish sticks.

    “These are fine.” At this point, he’d eat anything. These seemed like the least amount of effort.

    “Wonderful! But… perhaps you should cook them? I’m known for ruining any food I try to cook.” Astolfo smiled apologetically, look embarrassed.

    “What? So you invite me into your house and expect me to cook?” Cu teased. Astolfo’s face got red again.

    “Of course not! I’ll cook, if you wish!”

    “I’m just kidding.” Cu laughed. “It’s no problem.”

    “If you’re sure-”

    “I’m sure.” Cu tore open the box, pulling out the bag inside. “Where do you guys keep the pans?” he asked, as he turned the oven on. He and Gil had both become rather proficient at using cooking appliances, in their desperate attempts to avoid Kirei’s dreaded mapo tofu. Astolfo scurried underfoot, rummaging through a cupboard and coming out with a metal pan. “Thanks.” Cu ripped the bag open and dumped the sticks out onto it. “Now we just wait until the oven heats up.”

    “Right! I’ll pour the drinks!” Astolfo grinned, dashing to the fridge. Cu half-expected him to return with wine, but instead he came back with a gallon of milk.  _Right, he’s just a kid,_  Cu reminded himself. Oh well. Nothing wrong with some calcium, he supposed.

    “We always take turns cooking dinner and other meals. Karna cooks most though. His food is always too spicy. And Achilles’ food is too bland…” Astolfo sighed, sitting down across from Cu. “I’m not very talented at cooking myself, though.”

    “Kirei does most of the cooking back home.” Cu grumbled. Astolfo looked at him curiously.

    “Who’s Kirei?” he asked, cocking his head to the side a bit, like a confused puppy.

    “You didn’t meet him last time you were there?” Astolfo shook his head.  _Probably for the best…_  Cu didn’t really like the idea of Kirei near Astolfo. The kid was too innocent, too trusting. No doubt Kirei would try to take advantage of him. “He’s, uh, my master.” Cu admitted, seeing no way around it. A myriad of emotions crossed Astolfo face, ending with a somewhat forced smile.

    “Ah. I see. Your master still lives?”

    “Unfortunately,” Cu said, before he could stop himself. Astolfo frowned, his eyes softening.

    “You don’t like your master?” he asked quietly, almost hesitant. Cu shrugged, uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking.

    “We don’t really see eye to eye.” Cu replied, happy to leave it at that. “And yours?”

    “Dead.” Astolfo answered. There was a faraway look in his eyes, but Cu couldn’t tell if that was good or bad. “I was not happy to see her go, but… I don’t miss her.” Astolfo smiled sadly. Cu nodded. With that, the two dropped the subject.

    The timer dinged suddenly, and Astolfo leapt up, sliding across the floor to the oven. “Time to eat!” He yanked open the oven, slipping on a mitt and pulling out the tray. “Here you go!” he smiled, dumping the fish sticks onto a plate and placing it on the table. Cu grabbed one fast. It burnt the roof of his mouth, but he didn’t care- he hadn’t realized how hungry he was. He’d already wolfed down nearly half the plate, before remembering that Astolfo had to eat too. The kid paced himself a lot better.

    Cu leaned back in his seat, stretching out languidly. This was nice. Astolfo’s place was much smaller than Kirei’s, but it felt a lot homier. There was a rack of spices that looked very well used over next to the oven, a little timer shaped like a duck (probably something Astolfo had bought), and the mixing smells of the three inhabitants mingling throughout the house. It smelled more lived in, more  _happy._

    It was weird, all this stuff with the servants coming back. He’d been trying not to think about it too much, but it was kind of hard not to notice. He was living with two servants, both of them from wars he hadn’t taken part in. His boss was a servant, as well as  _his_  two roommates- again, from wars Cu had had no part in. Even if he couldn’t see them all, he sensed them, milling about the city, just under his nose. They were everywhere, yet… things were so _peaceful._

    A few months ago, he was eager to kill any servant he came across, not to win a war but because he missed the thrill of battle. Now, he was sitting at a kitchen table with another servant, eating fish sticks and chatting. Their lives had become so utterly domestic. He wasn’t sure what to think.

    “Ah, I love the food of this time period.” Astolfo sighed happily, having finished off the last of lunch. He quickly scooped the plate up, whisking it to the sink with a twirl of his skirt. “Don’t you?”

    “Can’t complain.” Except about the mapo tofu. That, he could live without. Maybe if Kirei didn’t make it all the time… then again, maybe not.

    “There are so many magnificent things in the world these days… I can’t pick my favorite part.” Astolfo said dreamily, gazing out the window at a passing plane. Cu nodded. He had to agree, the world had come a far way. It was pretty incredible, the sorts of things they had available to them now. Even after months of living here, things like television or the internet, running water and plumbing, never ceased to amaze him.

    Astolfo picked up his coat from the door, folding it over his arm.

    “I’m just going to put this away!” he said, pausing at the entrance to the living room. Cu stood up, following him. He’d never been in his boss’s house before, and he didn’t know when he would be again, so he might as well make the best of it. He liked seeing other people’s homes for some reason. It made him feel a bit more hopeful.

    Cu watched in amusement as Astolfo pranced across his room, over to his closet, humming as he hung up his coat. The room was about the same size as Cu’s, maybe a little bigger. It looked a lot more lived in though. The bureau was lined with ribbons and other hair trinkets, poking out from drawers and draped along the mirror. There were loose scraps of paper strewn about here and there, childish sketches and notes written in another language. Cu picked one up- a picture of what looked like a duck, a tiger, and a little horse. He smiled.

    “Cute.”

    “Ah!” Astolfo looked over, an embarrassed smile on his face. “I’m sorry, I would have cleaned up if I’d known I was having company-”

    “No need to apologize.” Cu laughed, handing the paper to him. “You should see what my room looks like.”

    “I usually keep it tidy, but I’ve been busy lately. Though I suppose that’s no excuse…”

    “Don’t worry about it kid.” Cu chuckled and Astolfo smiled, shyly. He began scooping the papers up, dumping them into one of his drawers. Cu continued glancing around. Everything felt so homey here.

    “Oh my goodness!” Astolfo cried suddenly, and Cu whirled around, muscled coiled and ready for action.

    “What?” he looked around, senses heightened, searching for danger… but he couldn’t detect anything. Astolfo was right behind him.

    “Your hair!” the child cried, grabbing onto his ponytail. Cu winced.

    “What about it?!”

    “It’s so pretty!” Astolfo looked up at him, eyes sparkling. Cu stared at him, unsure how to respond. Was he serious?  _That_  was what he was shouting about? “I never realized how long it was until now! Can I see it down?” he asked, looking hopeful. Cu didn’t have a chance to say anything before he’d already unhooked the band holding it back, letting it all fall loose. “It’s such a beautiful color!”

    “What are you doing?” Cu snapped, turning away. He’d never liked wearing his hair down, it blew all over the place when he ran and got in his face. Astolfo didn’t seem to catch his irritation, because he kept on smiling.

    “Do you always wear it down? Perhaps I could put it into a different style for you!” he offered, a little too eager. Cu searched for an excuse, other than ‘hell fucking no what the fuck kid’, but he couldn’t think of a anything good, besides the one previously mentioned. “I bet it would look really neat in a braid! And I could maybe smooth out all the spiky bits up top? It’d be-”

    “Uh, thanks, but, I’m happy with how it is.” Cu forced a smile. Where was that band? Did Astolfo still have it? That was the only one he had, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to find another one like it.

    “Are you sure? I would be happy to do it! I’ve got all sorts of neat stuff that I never use- I did Enkidu’s hair once and he really liked it!” Astolfo chirped, chattering on and on about how hard it was finding people willing to let him dress them up. “So many people have short hair nowadays, and the only girl friend I have is Frankenstein, but her hair is really short and it’s kind of hard to do anything with-”

    “Astolfo,” Cu cut him off with a sigh. Astolfo paused, looking up. He must have finally read the look on his face, because his own expression fell.

    “Oh. I’m sorry.” he forced a little smile, and a laugh. “There I go, running my mouth again… my apologies, Cu, I didn’t mean to bore you. I’m sure you have much more important things to do than stand here and listen to me complain, about hair of all things…” He trailed off, utterly distraught. Cu could tell it was genuine- Astolfo was the last person to play to someone’s emotions, trying to solicit pity to get what he wanted. He really did feel bad. Cu sighed again, scratching the back of his head.

    “It’s no big deal,” he shrugged. “I’m just not really a dress-up person, y’know?” he smiled, ruffling Astolfo’s hair a little, only to have the boy push his hand away frantically, trying to preserve his bangs. “Don’t look so down. I’m sure Enkidu loves it when you do his hair.”

    “He does!” Astolfo smiled, but it only lasted a moment. “Karna and Achilles prefer if I don’t go over to your home though. They worry about me being there with Gilgamesh, because of the way he acts around Karna-”

    “Aah.” Cu nodded, understanding completely. Poor kid. He was such an outgoing little guy- he seemed to be constantly craving human interaction. Not the easiest thing to find when you were a servant. Astolfo seemed to have pretty good relations with a lot of the other servants who had returned, but with his housemates being so protective of him, it wouldn’t surprise Cu if Astolfo had trouble finding many new friends.

    “And Enkidu never comes over here- I’m sure he’s just busy, so I understand, but… well, Karna and Achilles don’t really like to do many of the things I do.” Astolfo admitted, rather reluctant, as if he feared speaking poorly of his friends. Cu knew how much he admired them, and doubted Astolfo would ever speak ill of them without a reason. “They humor me sometimes, but I know they don’t really understand me.” he laughed, but he looked disheartened. “It seems like the two of them just get each other a lot easier than they do me. They click so easily. I guess it’s because they’re both part god, so I wouldn’t understand what that’s like, but… sometimes I can’t help but wonder, if it would really make a difference if I were here or not.”

    Cu felt a pang of sympathy for the child at these words. He hadn’t seen Astolfo many times, but whenever he did he was always so chipper, deliriously upbeat. Now though, he seemed like a different person, vulnerable and full of doubt.

    “I know what ya mean kid.” Cu murmured, patting his head again. Astolfo didn’t move his hand this time.

    “You… you do?” he asked, looking surprised. Cu looked down at him, sparing a small smile.

    He knew Kirei only kept him around because he thought killing him was too much effort. Gilgamesh couldn’t care less about his existence- hell, he probably wouldn’t even notice if Cu left. Enkidu was nice, yeah, but he was nice to everyone. And he had Gil. The two of them… well, it was like what Astolfo had said about Karna and Achilles. Enkidu and Gil just _got_  each other- they clicked on a level far beyond what Cu could see, and no matter how much time he spent with either of them, he would never be able to obtain that sort of bond. They understood each other’s most tangled up parts. Cu didn’t have anyone like that.

    At the end of the day… Cu didn’t have anyone, period.

    “Yeah. I do.” he said quietly.

    For awhile the two stood there in silence, neither one of them sure how to break it. Cu wasn’t one for self-pity, or at least he hadn’t been before he’d become Kirei’s pet, and he couldn’t stand this sort of helpless gloom.

    “Alright.” he clapped his hands together, making Astolfo jump. He looked like a startled deer, his purple eyes wide. “The day’s still young kid. No time for moping. What do you wanna do?”

    “Well… I don’t want to bore you or anything…” Astolfo mumbled.

    “Don’t worry about it. We already did what I wanted to do, it’s your turn.” Cu smiled. He knew exactly what Astolfo wanted to do, and as uninterested as Cu was in having his hair styled, he figured it couldn’t hurt. Of all the unsavorable things he’d been forced to do in this new life, this was by far the least of his worries. Hell, compared to all that, this was more than enjoyable.

    “Can I do something with you hair?” Astolfo asked, almost shyly. Cu could smell his longing, despair born of boredom stirring inside of him, the need to do something creative.He chuckled.

    “Do your worst kid.” Astolfo’s eyes lit up, all of the misery washing away as his face seemed to glow.

    “Thank you Cu!” he cried, flinging his arms around his neck. Caught off guard, Cu bristled. Even after Astolfo released him, dashing off to find all the things he needed, Cu remained tense.

    It wasn’t that he disliked being hugged. It had just been awhile. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had hugged him. It was probably his wife, Emer. Or maybe Ferdiad… like he’d said, it had been a long time. He was out of practice when it came to the whole ‘positive physical contact’ thing. The closest he got to it was when Enkidu would lean into him on the couch, too tired to stay upright.

    Astolfo returned, practically bouncing. He had a brush and a little box, overflowing with ribbons and things, in his hands. He was grinning with excitement.

    “This is going to be wonderful! I assure you, I know exactly what I’m doing- I used to help the other paladins with their hair back in the day!” Astolfo cried, pumped full of energy. Cu laughed, shaking his head.

    “You sure are something, huh?”

    “Everyone is, aren’t they?” Astolfo smiled. “Alright. Just sit back and relax.” He took the brush and began running it through Cu’s hair. It parted the spiky mess up top gently, then ran down his scalp, untangling the long blue. Astolfo was humming something under his breath, an old tune. Cu didn’t recognize it, but he found it soothing. Even if he’d never heard it, there was something about it that felt familiar- the way it calmed him, left him relaxed. In the back of his mind old scents stirred, blurry images of faces from long ago. He let his eyes close, drifting off to the softness of Astolfo’s voice.

_He missed them. He missed their voices and their touch, the way they smelled. Familiar, comforting. Like home. He missed alpha, Emer, the softness of her skin and the tone of her voice, even when it was scolding him. He missed máthair. He missed Ferdiad, his Enkidu, his Karna- the person who understood him, who just clicked._

_He missed charging through the battlefield, blinded by blood, tearing through anything in his path. Relying on instincts alone, never knowing when he might go, but knowing that it would be in a fair fight. He missed being free._

_He was stuck. Stuck in a foreign land with people that did not understand him, people he did not understand. Every day was a traverse between work and a place that he despised, a place he found himself referring to as ‘home’- even thought it was anything but. He was trapped here, bound to a house and a man that meant nothing to him._

_He was alone._

    “Cu?” Astolfo’s voice poked into his consciousness, and Cu opened his eyes. He yawned, looking around, but everything was blurry.

    “What happened?” he asked, reaching up to rub his eyes.

    “You fell asleep I think.” Astolfo giggled. He was moving his hair around, tugging every few seconds- probably putting it into a braid. “It’s been a rather long day, hasn’t it? I don’t blame you.” there was a smile in his voice. Cu smiled back, yawning again.

    “Sorry kid. I guess I relaxed a little too much.” he said sheepishly. “What time is it?”

    “Almost five. Karna should be home soon. I’m almost finished!” Astolfo gave another tug, then reached to the table for another ribbon- this one bright red.

    “What exactly do you have going on back there?” Cu asked. “Or do I not wanna know?”

    “You’ll see~” Astolfo sang. “It looks wonderful, so don’t worry!” Cu started to shake his head, but stopped, not wanting to mess up Astolfo.

    The boy fiddled a little longer, chattering inanely all the while. Finally, he stepped back.

    “Alright! I’m all done!” he grinned. Grabbing Cu’s hand, he pulled him up from the seat, tugging him over to the mirror. “Ta-dah~!” he cried, throwing his arms out for the big reveal. He looked at Cu expectantly, waiting for a reaction. Cu stared at his reflection. He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting.

    Astolfo had pulled his hair back in a braid, like he’d said, but he’d gotten creative. Multiple ribbons of multiple colors- mostly reds and purples, a lot of them sparkling -were weaved through the braids. There were some little hair clips thrown in too, bright and sequined, tacked in at elegant angles, making a glistening zigzag pattern. The top part had some clips too, mostly to keep the messier bits at bay, but despite the variance in shapes, sizes and colors, nothing really seemed out of place.

    The scary thing was that it actually looked kind of good. Obviously not something he would put together himself, ever, but just in general it was pretty. It would be more fitting for someone else, someone like Astolfo or some fashionable young lady- not a divine warrior with a berserk side. Still, for all intensive purposes, it looked nice. Cu laughed.

    “Do you like it?” Astolfo asked, eager for an answer.

    “Yep.” he chuckled, shaking his head wryly. “I gotta give you some credit kid, y’did a good job.” he smiled, giving Astolfo’s head another pat. He was beaming, joy radiating from every facet of his body.

    “Excellent!” he clapped, too happy to care about Cu mussing up his hair. “I’m so glad!” He just looked so giddy. Cu couldn’t help his smile. No wonder Achilles and Karna liked the kid so much- he was a strange little guy, without a doubt, but Cu couldn’t remember ever meeting anyone so warm and genuine.

    Astolfo was babbling again, something about outfits, and Cu wondered if maybe he’d gotten himself in too deep. Thankfully, at that moment, they heard a door opening, and Astolfo’s face lit up even more.

    “Karna!” he called, flouncing out of the room to greet him. Cu watched, still shaking his head. He definitely was something. What it was, Cu had no idea, but  _definitely_  something.

    Cu walked out into the living room, stretching. He still felt kind of groggy. He wouldn’t mind going home and crashing for awhile, before dinner. Probably mapo tofu again. He grimaced. Outside, the sun was getting a little low in the sky. He should probably start walking home…

    “I’ve gotta get going Stolfo,” Cu called. The boy came dashing back into the room, mild distress in his eyes.

    “Are you sure?” he asked. “You could stay for dinner if you want!” he offered.

    “Astolfo, stop inviting guests without asking.” Karna called dryly from the other room. Cu snickered. It was tempting, even with Karna’s disapproval, but Cu had a long shift tomorrow. Might as well cut his losses and get back to Kirei’s.

    “Sorry kid. Thanks for the thought. It’s been fun.” he gave the boy a pat on the shoulder, smiling lopsidedly. “I’ll see you around.”

    “Alright!” Astolfo’s gloomy face melted away, replaced by another sweet smile. “Thanks for showing me how to fish! It was a lot of fun!”

    “Don’t mention it.” Cu smiled. He walked through the kitchen, giving Karna a little wave as he passed. The man looked up briefly from his paper, then looked back, confusion flitting through his pale blue eyes. He watched as Cu opened the door, stepped out, and long after he’d disappeared.

~ ~ ~

    Cu didn’t bother announcing his presence as he stepped into Kotomine’s home. It seemed his exhaustion had been holding itself off until he got here, hitting him full force the second he dropped his bag to the ground. He yawned, trudging over to the couch and flopping down. It was rare that it was unoccupied. Gil must have been busy.

    He really didn’t want to go to work tomorrow. The girl who usually worked wednesdays was on some vacation though, so Achilles needed him to cover her shift. He’d been racking up the hours, and at first he was glad- anything to keep him out of the house. More money didn’t hurt either. He was exhausted though. Who would have thought cleaning up a flower shop could be more tiring than fighting for his life?

   _That’s a good kind of tired though_ , he reminded himself, closing his eyes and stretching out. _The kind of tired that makes you feel accomplished._  He’d take fatigue in his muscles and shortness of breath over aching feet and murderous boredom any day. He loved his job, but the lulls in the day were torturous. He’d rather play target practice for Gil than sit at the register for three hours without a single customer coming in.

    Cu sighed deeply, sinking into the cushions. He felt like he could sleep for a year. In the other room he could hear the clanking of dishes and the sizzling of something cooking. He took a whiff and scowled- mapo tofu, just like he’d thought. Maybe if he passed out Kirei would forget he existed and he could scrounge something up out of the fridge later.

    “Cu!” Enkidu called. “I heard the door- was that you?” Cu sighed again.

    “Yes.” he answered, raising a hand up.

    “Dinner’s ready!” Enkidu said. Cu groaned quietly. Sitting up, he stretched, heading into the kitchen.

    “So the dog finally decided to come home?” Kirei asked dryly.

    “Bite me.” Cu growled, pulling up a seat. The man looked up coldly, ready to reprimand him no doubt, but he paused, mouth still opened, looking very confused. Cu poked at his plate. He was hungry, but was he  _this_  hungry?

    “Uh… Cu?” Enkidu asked. Cu looked at him. He looked as confused as Kirei. Gilgamesh was snickering on the other side of the table, a grin splitting his face.

    “What?” Cu frowned. Couldn’t he go one night without Gil and Kirei tormenting him? Even Kirei was smiling, small and tight, trying to hide it but failing more with each passing second.

    “You, um… How was your day?” Enkidu hadn’t stopped staring at him.

    “Fine. Why? What’s up?”

    “Your, uh, your hair. It’s… interesting.” Enkidu was starting to smile apologetically, as if he felt guilty for being amused. Cu raised an eyebrow. He touched his hair, and dropped his chopsticks. Fuck.  _Fuck_. He’d completely forgotten about his hair.

    “Did you have fun at the groomer’s, dog?” Gil snorted, unable to contain his laughter. Kirei had a hand over his mouth, covering his grin.

     _Please kill me. Please just kill me right now._  Cu was tearing the clips out, trying to undo the braid- Astolfo had done a damn good job though, and it didn’t come apart easily. He must have wrestled with it for a minutes before finally giving up. He let the loose clips drop, shaking his head.

    You know what? Fuck it. Cu laughed. This would happen. With his E Ranks luck? Of course. Why wouldn’t it? He laughed, hard, real, until his eyes were full of tears and he could hardly breathe. He could hear Enkidu laughing too. Even Kirei was sniggering, quiet and muffled but still there. Gil sounded like he was dying, cackling and pounding the table.

    This was his life now, ridiculous and weird as hell. There was no way out though, so he might as well go with the flow.

    “You were with Astolfo, weren’t you?” Enkidu asked after dinner, as he helped Cu scrape the unwanted scraps into the garbage disposal. Cu snorted.

    “That obvious?” he grinned. The dumb giddiness from dinner still hadn’t worn off.

    “He has a very distinct style.” Enkidu chuckled. “I didn’t realize you were such a pushover, Cu.” Enkidu smiled slyly.

    “Neither did I.” Cu shrugged. “He’s a nice kid.” he smiled fondly. “You mind helping me get this stuff out? I’ll never be able to show my face at work again if I show up like this tomorrow.”

    “Awww, but it looks nice!” Enkidu teased.

    “Don’t you start again. I’ve had enough embarrassment tonight to last me a lifetime.”

    “I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think this’ll be the last time.” Enkidu said gently.

    “Pfft. Please. That’s a given.” Cu shook his head. With luck like his it was beyond inevitable. Enkidu had already started undoing Astolfo’s braid, gently tugging out the ribbons. Cu wondered if Astolfo would want them back. They were pretty nicely made, probably expensive. The kid had nice taste. Cu pulled up a chair, sitting down so Enkidu could reach better.

    “Why are you so tall?” Enkidu huffed.

    “Same reason you’re so short.” he shrugged, grinning even as Enkidu gave his hair an indignant yank. “Don’t blame me!” he laughed, wincing.

    “Gotta blame someone.” Enkidu smirked.

    “You really are like a mini-Gil sometimes.” Cu pointed out. Enkidu snickered.

    They sat for awhile, the dishwasher rumbling gently beside them, the TV murmuring in the other room, punctuated by Gil’s random outbursts as he played through his latest video game. Enkidu’s fingers ran gently through his hair, as comforting as Astolfo’s touch, but more natural, earthy. Cu had almost forgotten what it was like, to be touched, by someone he cared about. It felt like forever since he’d had someone he cared about. And really, when he thought about it… it had been.

    “I’m sorry,” Enkidu said suddenly, out of nowhere. Cu looked up, confused.

    “For what?” he frowned. Was this about the blaming him for being short? He hadn’t thought Enkidu would take that sort of thing to heart-

    “For the way things are.” Enkidu said quietly. A heaviness seemed to settle over the kitchen, drowning out the other white noise. Even Gil’s voice had faded. Enkidu held his hair, staring into space. “For how Gil acts. How Kirei treats you.”

    “None of that is your fault, Enkidu-” Cu started, but Enkidu was already continuing.

    “I know you don’t want to be here.” he said silently, and Cu stopped talking. He hadn’t realized Enkidu had noticed. It wasn’t like he’d made efforts to hide how much he hated living here, but he hadn’t thought he’d broadcasted it so loudly. “I’m not going to pretend I understand what happened, between you and Kirei, but I’m sure you have your reasons.” Enkidu pushed on, combing his fingers through Cu’s hair rhythmically, as if it were keeping him calm. “I just… I’m sorry. That you have to put up with it all. I wish I knew how to make it easier on you, that there was some way I could help-”

    “Hey,” Cu cut him off, turning around in his chair. He put a hand on Enkidu’s shoulder, looking him in the eyes. He could smell his distress, that helplessness that started at the core and slowly ate its way through even the strongest of men. It seemed like it was hollowing Enkidu from the inside out. “You do help. Alright? All you do is help. Ever since you came here, life has been so much better. You’re the only person in this house that doesn’t give me crap for existing.” Cu laughed. Enkidu was staring at him, his mouth a tight line, trying so hard to keep his distress inside.

    There were so many things he could say, so many he wanted to say.  _You’re the only person I can talk to. You’re the only one who actually listens to me. You’re one of the only people in the world who cares about me. You’re one of the best friends I’ve ever had._

    Instead, he just kept smiling, and said dumbly, “You’re a great guy.” Enkidu still looked distraught, but he smiled a little. “So please don’t apologize, okay? You’re the last person that needs to apologize.”

    “If you say so.” Enkidu nodded, untangling the last knots in Cu’s hair. “Thanks, Cu.”

 _I’m the one who should be thanking you_ , he thought, turning around to sit normally again. There were still words clinging to the back of his mouth, wanting to be said but too afraid to leave. He closed his eyes and breathed, letting that comforting, earthy smell wash back over him. Enkidu kept combing through his hair, humming softly, another ancient tune that brought Cu back to a time long ago, when things made sense and he wasn’t so alone.


End file.
